One bad grade

Answered

Yes it matters that you got a 70 in Algebra 2. Therefore, if you want to correct this, you should either re-take Algebra 2 over the summer at a community college and try to get a B+/A- in it or if that is not a possibility, self study hard and show you know the material by scoring a 700+ on your SAT Math Section or a 31+ on your ACT math section. If you have high math sub-section test scores, that will offset your poor showing in Algebra 2.

That is the minimum I would do but ideally you want to apply to college with a strong Algebra 2 grade and at least Pre-Calculus completed.

I'm assuming you haven't signed up for Pre-Calculus for Junior year yet. The other option is to self-study Algebra 2 over the summer and take a MOOC like ASU's College Algebra course for ($49) on eDx.org and sign up for Pre-Calc. As long as you can show evidence that you understand the material, you can write about your attempt to correct this hole in your academic transcript in the ADDL INFO section of your Common App or Coalition App when you apply to college.

Another option is to take College Algebra or Pre-Calc online through Outlier.org. They are excellent online college classes which do not charge you the $400 fee if you can't pass the course. The typically are between 7 and 14 weeks of self studying and you have to participate in quizzes and proctored tests as well however you can log in at your convenience. I've done 2 of these and you get 3 college credits if you get a B or better grade. https://www.outlier.org/products/college-algebra

Good luck.

Hi @Adam5,

Unfortunately, a C can be pretty serious, depending on the schools you're applying to. It's good that it's not in a field directly related to your major, but Algebra is still a core-level course (not an extracurricular), so colleges will care how you do.

Think of it like this. Most colleges look at your high school grades as an indicator of whether they think you'll be able to excel at their school. A C-level grade won't disqualify you, but it can raise doubts — especially if there's another applicant that doesn't suffer the same issue.

But it's not the end of the world — you still have enough time left in high school to build an upward trajectory across your transcript. As long as you have good grades in future math courses and strong math scores on the SAT/ACT, most colleges will just see that you struggled (during COVID, no less) and put in the work to improve. If you're able to do better starting next semester, you should be fine.

A similar question was asked yesterday. They had gotten a B in one class, and were worrying about whether to explain why that happened. The overwhelming response was no because colleges don't care that much about a single B. However here, it matters more. From what I know, a 70% would be a D+ or below, and so that will definitely raise an eyebrow, especially considering you have an A in the rest. Mention in your additional info section later on why that happened. They're definitely going to be curious. What happened during that semester? How were you able to score so drastically different from your other classes? Was it an issue of time, a tough grading policy, a bad teacher, etc.?

Also, Algebra 2 is like the bare minimum for many fields, most high schools require at least passing pre-calc to graduate, so it's not like you need a math-based field to use Algebra 2. If this was Calculus or beyond, then sure, it wouldn't matter too much for your major, but this is a fundamental class.

I hope that helps! Good luck.